Work has started this week on the long-anticipated Alpha Portland demolition-rehabilitation project.

Actual demolition work won’t occur until the asbestos abatement is completed, according to Daniel Distler, senior project manager for Keramida Inc., the environmental consultant for the project.

“Abatement has to be done first,” Distler said.

That is expected to be finished by the first or second week of June, he said.

A contract was signed between Ice Creek Land Co. and Cardinal Environmental Services Inc. Ice Creek is the local developer for the site on Hog Run Road that was once the location of the Alpha Portland Cement Co.

When the brownfield is remediated, the plan is for Marietta Industrial Enterprise, a material handling company, to construct a 30,000-square-foot distribution warehouse on the site.

Evans Landscaping came in with a bid of almost $1.3 million for demolition and $62,000 for remediation.

“We have Evans to do the demolition,” Distler said.

Distler said there is no timetable yet for the demolition side of the project. An almost $800,000 Clean Ohio grant will go toward the demolition costs.

An update on the project was given by Commission President Les Boggs at the commissioners’ Tuesday meeting.

In other action the commission:

• Received correspondence from the Ohio Public Works Commission on grants concerning road-paving projects;

• Approved a right-of-way permit for Bill and Donna Dingus to enter County Road 31, for removal of a section of guardrail and placing approved fill to construct an entrance.